One of the biggest roadblocks to getting equipment for a home gym is asking yourself, “What should I get?”
“Do I need to get commercial equipment? Squat racks, a bench press, dumbbell rack, or even one of those fancy “all-in-one” gym sets you can get for 12 easy payments?”
Nope, you don’t need any of that stuff. Together we are going to give you affordable equipment options for a home gym.
Why a Home Gym Is Worth It
Here are the benefits of having a home gym:
1) No people. Let’s be honest if you’re trying to get in shape the last thing you need is a bunch of people sweating/stinking all around you while taking obnoxious mirror selfies.
2) No weights left around. This is a personal pet peeve. When all you want are the stupid 20lb dumbbells the last thing you need is to search for them like it’s the Holy Grail.
3) No sweaty, dirty equipment. Ok, I know this ties into the first one, but you certainly don’t want any filth left on equipment – oh heck no!
4) People on the phone. This also ties into the first one, but in the almost 40 years I’ve been in this industry, I’ve never seen so many people talking on phones (we didn’t have cell phones as much back then) or listening to music with no headphones (shoot me now).
The Downsides to Having a Home Gym?
1) Ummm I guess no eye candy working out next to you?
Really there is no downside, you get to control the music, vibe, and environment you want. If your home gym wants to listen to a Jack Carr audiobook, cool. Should you wish to play some Bon Jovi at a reasonable level then you can. The bottom line is having a home gym takes many excuses out of the equation.
“The gym is too far from my house.” Distance? Not an issue.
“My nearest gym is too busy.” A home gym is yours 24/7.
“I can’t stand people or their music!” Again, no longer an issue.
Home Gym Equipment Must-Haves
-Kettlebells. I love kettlebells. They take up very little space and the options for exercise variety is quite vast. The number of instructional videos on YouTube is almost endless.
-Sandbags. The beautiful part of these durable phenomenal fitness products is you can swap heavier or lighter weights. Like the kettlebells, you have a ton of movement options and even more instructional videos you can get online.
-Yoga mat. The best part about these mats is you simply roll them up when done.
-Dumbbells. Honestly, with the previous options of kettlebells and sandbags, you don’t really need dumbbells. However, should you decide you really want them, start with 8-10 lbs, and as you get stronger you can go up in weight.
-TRX. TRX stands for Total Body Resistance Exercise and it’s a great way to do a variety of different fitness exercises. All you need is something to hang them on.
-Ab roller. Now, this isn’t a must-have per se, but the benefits to your core and upper body are too great to not mention.
-Chin-up bar. I only mention this because doing chin-ups or pull-ups are incredible bodyweight exercises. However, if you are new to fitness I wouldn’t put this on your home gym equipment list.
-Adjustable bench. If you are going to invest in dumbbells then this is a must. It’s also a great piece of equipment for step-ups, dips, or to sit on after you do a beast of a training session.
-Stereo system. You can find affordable options on Amazon.
Well, I hope this has helped. Now go and create your own home gym and get ready to conveniently (and more affordably) get fit!
